The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-09-07
agricultural.
Saving Seed.

The saving of seed is matter of no
little consequence to the farmer. Upon
the principle that like produces like
no little care should be exercised in
selection. In the case of potatoes the
selection is one of comparative ease,
since the tuber is the means used for
the propagation of the kind, but
strictly speaking is not the seed.
There are more or less obstacles in the
way of seed selection in the case of
those crops where only the seed proper
is the means of reproduction. The
seed is development from the flower,
as intricate as the new life in the ami
NAL. The flowers of plants consist of
several parts, the most essential of
which are the stamens and pistils,
which are the true reproductive or
gans. The stamens consist of the
stalk and the anthers or double-lobed
organs at the top, which at the proper
time give off fine, yellowish-colo
sists of the ovary or pod containing
stigma. Now if the pollen of the
same class of plants falls upon the
ovary there will be development of
the seeds; otherwise not. In the case
of corn, for instance, the spindle or
tassel composes the stamens and the
silk the pistil, and in those cases that
have been observed by farmers of
cobs entirely destitute of kernels of
grain are instances of failure in the
deposit of the pollen. We now come
to the matter of the selection of seed
and the difficulty attending it. For in
stance, the seed is influenced by the
parent stalk; it is supposed to be per-
feet Towering plant, that is, capable of
fertiliziug itself. 1t is desired to Sc
cure seed of kind that will produce
two ears to each stalk. 1t is said Sc
lect from those stalks bearing two ears.
That is all right as far as it goes, but is
hardly reliable, for the reason that it
is unknown from what source the fer
tilization comes. Although the stalk
itself bearing the two ears may show a
decided tendency to similar production
in the employment of its seed it is
not known what the tendencies of
the stalk bearing the fertilizing pollen
may have been. That, for aught
that may be known, might be one
containing perfect male organs and full
power for reproduction, and still not
have even the germ of an ear devel-
oped. Now the male is as likely to exert
a controlling influence in the matter of
reproduction as the female, and so, in
this view of the case, the seed that
comes from natural means of fertiliza-
ton is as likely to produce single-eared
stalks as double-eared, although the
same may have been carefully selected
from stalks bearing two ears. 1t would
seem that in order to secure the best
results in the line of seed production
in the case of corn would involve the
care and trouble of artificial and pro-
tected fertilization, Just the same as the
careful breeder of animals selects his
breeding animals. Those stalks should
be selected that have vigorous devel-
opment of two or more ears, and these
should be protected from the means OF
natural fertilization until the pollen is
ripe upon stalks that also have the germs
of two or more ears, by which the pro-
tected stalks are artihcally fortified by
thoroughly busting the pollen upon the
protected stigmas or silk of the ca,
germs. Seed procured by as careful
means as these may be expected tC
prove much more reliable than as or
dinarily produced. The only question
seems to be, What is the limit to be as
signed to extra labor and care that can
be expended to secure the end aimee
at? In taking the above view of the
case the seed selected from a grain-br
without regard to size or condition il
just as likely to secure average and sat
isfactory results as would be the case
by the most careful selection of seed
from field that has been self-fertilized
1t is possible that the principles of care
full breeding as applied to animals will
yet be applied to growing crops and as
marked an Improvement result as in the
case of animals. One thing is certain
there is no danger of exercising toe
great care in the matter so long as it il
confined to economical limits. Mirror
and Farmer